The purpose of early childhood education is to provide children with the skills they need to function successfully in society. The skills children learn in early childhood classrooms include reading, writing, speaking, listening, and mathematics. Through play and exploration, children learn about their world and develop a sense of confidence and curiosity. It should also be noted that early childhood education provides the opportunity for children to socialize and meet new friends. It is an important part of their development as they get to know others and learn to be polite and kind to others.
There are six domains within early childhood education that teachers should focus on; communication, social and emotional skills, literacy, numeracy, physical development, and personal wellbeing. If you’re interested in finding out more about the main purpose of early childhood education, continue reading the article below.
Communication
To communicate is to transfer information from one person to another. For instance, if you want your friend to know you’re thinking about them, you would tell them. Similarly, when a teacher and a student are communicating, the teacher is providing information to the student and the student is replying with feedback. This is known as the teacher-directed approach to learning. In contrast, children who are exploring materials and situations independently are learning to self-regulate and take responsibility for their own learning. Through play and exploration, children are able to develop their language skills and become independent communicators.
Social And Emotional Skills
Children grow up learning how to socialize with others. That is, they learn to comply with social expectations and to behave in a way that is appropriate in certain situations. For example, if a teacher asks a child to come into the classroom and sit with their legs lifted in the air, the child may protest or ask questions, but eventually, they will comply. This is known as role-modeling, and it is an important part of a teacher’s role in shaping a well-mannered and polite young person. The social and emotional skills children develop through play and exploration can also influence their interactions with others and affect their personal wellbeing. The more a child relies on internal resources (i.e., their imagination and creativity) the more they will develop emotional resilience. Strong emotional skills give a child the ability to effectively regulate their emotions, be in control of their actions and make sound decisions. Children who are highly emotional are sometimes described as having “an overactive amygdala” which can lead to behavioral problems in adults
Literacy
Literacy can be defined as “the knowledge and understanding of reading and writing”. When we think about literacy we often think about adults who are learning to read or write for the first time. However, just like social skills, children are also developing literacy skills throughout their early years through play and exploration. That is, they are learning to recognize letters, words, and sentences, and they are also developing the cognitive and executive skills to organize their learning. For example, if a teacher asks a child to come up with as many words as they can that start with the letter “B”, the child will begin by showing the letters “B”, “C”, and “D” and will explore each one independently. As the child approaches the end of the letter “B”, they will realize that the words “bad”, “baby”, “biscuit”, “beautiful” and “banana” begin with the letter “B”. Through this process, the child has developed their letter recognition skills and knowledge of the English language. In addition, they have also developed their problem-solving skills as they have had to consider the context of what they are reading or listening to, identify meaning and understand language effectively (Lambert et al., 2016).
Numeracy
Numeracy can be described as “the ability to apply your mathematical understanding to real-world problems”. Just like literacy and social skills, numeracy is also being developed by children through play and exploration. However, rather than being measured by how many words or letters a child knows, numeracy is assessed through the use of mathematical tasks and inquiries. For example, if a teacher asks a child to count to 10 by 3’s, the child will quickly realize that they do not know how to count in 3’s and will use their 1-to-1 correspondence to count in 1’s until they reach 10. Through solving these simple mathematical puzzles, children are also learning to apply their number skills in real-life situations and are becoming more confident and competent in mathematics. Research shows that children who participate in numeracy tasks score higher on self-report and performance measures of mathematics (Richens & Tolmie, 2015).
Physical Development
The physical development of children occurs as they get older and bigger. However, this development is also influenced by what they learn in early childhood. For example, if a parent encourages their child to develop their fine motor skills through movement and play, the child will build on this and gain strength and confidence as they grow. This is also known as “structuring movement routines” and it is an important aspect of a child’s development. Through movement and exploration, children develop their sense of independence and develop the ability to manage their time. In addition, it is also important for children to learn to balance their needs and wants with those of others. This can help cultivate empathy and expand their social circles. It is said that too much screen time in early childhood can disrupt a child’s physical development. That is, too much exposure to screens leads to shorter attention spans and less creativity, independence, and social skills (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2018).
Finally, personal well-being is also important, and children who are well-adjusted and happy are more likely to succeed in life. Children who participate in activities that promote personal well-being like singing, dancing, and playing sports have been shown to have higher levels of self-esteem and confidence (Vaughan et al., 2007). Additionally, children who are confident, well-adjusted children often shine in the classroom. They are able to focus on the tasks at hand and avoid distractions, which allows them to succeed in school.
So, what is the main purpose of early childhood education? Essentially, it is to provide children with the skills they need to function successfully in society. In order to do this, it is important for children to develop literacy, numeracy, and personal well-being skills. These are the pillars of intelligence and it is essential that children are grounded and confident in these areas if they are to succeed in the future.